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The Battleship Halberd is Meta Knight's signature battleship.

General Information[]

The Halberd's size is not stated and varies from game to game. In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, it is just about larger than King Dedede's Castle. The Halberd is capable of atmospheric and space flight, and is able to take off from underwater. In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, it is "made to move at hyper speeds", and does so by using wormholes, managing to cover 900 light years in several minutes. The ship's power comes from the Reactor (known as the Engine Room in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!), and judging by the dialogue at the beginning of Revenge of Meta Knight, the Halberd is dependent on solar energy to some degree. In Kirby Super Star and its remake, some components of the Halberd are shown to be powered by Wheelies.

Interior[]

The interior of the ship is filled with long corridors with special trolleys to make travel faster. These trolleys are both present in the games and in the anime. In the anime, the many rooms inside include a kitchen, a jail, a training room, and a massive engine room, suggesting that a far larger crew was expected but the bridge is made to be run by just Meta Knight, Sword Knight and Blade Knight. In the games, the bridge crew consists of Meta Knight, Captain Vul, and Sailor Waddle Dee.

In Kirby Super Star Ultra, during a certain stage, Kirby, while travelling through the ship's interior, crosses through a massive, open room, via a sort of catwalk, that almost resembles a hangar for smaller air/spacecraft. If the player moves Kirby around or flies him the right way, more of the background is revealed and several small ships can be seen. They resemble fighter jets or perhaps Sirica's spaceship in the anime in shape but have purple bat wings like the Halberd and Meta Knight himself.

Armament[]

Its exact armaments and firepower vary from game to game, but in its latest appearances, it has a large cannon beneath its bow, with Combo Cannon at the top part of the ship. All other cannons are smaller than those two, and cover most arcs of the ship. The cannons fire flak shells, beams, and pulsed energy projectiles in the games and managed to shoot down Dyna Blade. In the anime they only fire laser beams, but appear to be vastly more powerful; a single shot is all that's required to down a Destroya.

In its appearance in Revenge of Meta Knight, the Halberd carries a complement of a mech (or possibly two) known as Heavy Lobster to defend against threats. In the anime, Heavy Lobster is sent by Nightmare instead to destroy the Halberd. In Kirby Super Star Ultra, there are several aircrafts seen within the ship. These aircrafts are white and feature landing gear, a cockpit, a vertical stabilizer, and purple foldable wings similar to the Halberd itself.

Combo Cannon[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Combo Cannon
ComboCannonKSSU

Main Cannon #2's sprite in Kirby Super Star Ultra

Combo Cannon, called Gravity Disruptor in the English dub of Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and Main Cannon #2 in Kirby Super Star Ultra, is a double-barreled turret located on the front deck of the Halberd. The top gun fires slow moving cannonballs while the bottom gun fires a devastating laser. The Combo Cannon is also equipped with a mechanical arm to grab enemies and drop bombs on them. In Super Smash Bros. Brawl the mechanical arm is used to attack Fox in his Arwing as well as to immobilize the Great Fox. In Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra, a secondary mechanical arm is used to rotate a crank that controls the upper cannon's movement. All other depictions replaced this secondary arm crank with a gear. This cannon would eventually appear as an item in the team battle mode of Kirby Fighters Deluxe.

Reactor[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Reactor
KSSU Reactor

The Reactor in Kirby Super Star Ultra

The Reactor is the Halberd's main power plant. It is a room full of Wheelies running to power the ship, and its center is dominated by a large structure holding a crystal in place. It is defended by flamethrowers and a laser gun, the latter of which turns out to be its only weakness. In Kirby's Epic Yarn and its remake, it is defended by two flamethrowers instead.

Appearance[]

After its debut in Kirby Super Star, its appearance went through many changes, but there are several central design elements which have never been changed. Its bow always has Meta Knight's mask on it, its sides always have several large wings, and it is always bristling with a multitude of cannons. In many of its game appearances, its deck, top structures, and turrets resemble those of a stylized World War II-era battleship. The Halberd's appearance in Kirby: Squeak Squad resembles its incarnation in the anime.

Hull[]

Across the years, the ship's hull has become more elongated. In its appearance in Kirby Super Star, Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and in Kirby: Squeak Squad, it has a wide red hull like a traditional battleship. From Super Smash Bros. Brawl onwards, the ship has two sleek gliders with mounted guns instead, and a large cannon was installed between the gliders where the tip formerly was.

Wings and Rocket Boosters[]

KRBAY Halberd Engines

The Halberd's engines in the anime

The Halberd's wings are usually bat-like in appearance, similar to Meta Knight's; it features six wings: two on top, two on the bottom, and two in the rear. In most appearances, they unfold when deployed, but in Kirby Super Star Ultra they simply phase into existence. The Halberd also features four rocket boosters to propel it in the air. In Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and Kirby: Squeak Squad, the Halberd has four wings that are sleek and have three rocket boosters attached to them, as well as having only two rocket boosters on the rear, giving the Halberd fourteen total rocket boosters.

Other changes[]

Where Combo Cannon is attached is not exactly the same across versions either. In Kirby Super Star and Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it is located at the front part of the ship, but in Kirby: Right Back at Ya! and Kirby: Squeak Squad, it is at the second-to-top level. Its lasers are colored blue in the games and orange in the anime.

Crew[]

Meta Knight is the captain of the Halberd. His top subordinates are several high-ranking members of the Meta-Knights who command the rest of the crew.

Captain Vul[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Captain Vul
KSSU Captain Vul Neutral

Captain Vul is a high-ranking officer and the helmsman on the Halberd and member of the Meta-Knights. From his conversation, he thinks rather highly of himself, and rather lowly of his crew, pummeling them with all sorts of insults. He is obsessed with destroying Kirby and his measures to get rid of him get more and more extreme throughout Revenge of Meta Knight. After the Reactor is destroyed, he is the first to leave the ship.

Sailor Waddle Dee[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Sailor Waddle Dee
KSSU Sailor Waddle Dee Neutral

Sailor Waddle Dee is a member of the Meta-Knights, and shares command from the Halberd's bridge with Meta Knight and Captain Vul. He resembles a regular Waddle Dee wearing a sailor hat. He is the most timid among them and is first to voice the collective worry of the crew.

Axe Knight[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Axe Knight
KSSU Axe Knight Neutral

One of the Axe Knights is an officer on the ship and has a few lines of dialogue in Revenge of Meta Knight. He appears to be very fond of Meta Knight, wanting to stay with him even after the reactor is destroyed.

Mace Knight[]

KPR Maxim Tomato Main article: Mace Knight
KSSU Mace Knight Neutral

Like Axe Knight, one of them is an officer on the ship and has a few lines of dialogue. He stashed food and a 1UP in a secret room on the Halberd for himself without the knowledge of his superiors proving to be selfish.

Other members[]

There is a Heavy Lobster mech (possibly two) on board the Halberd which was destroyed in Revenge of Meta Knight. The remainder of the Halberd's crew are made up of regular enemies and Meta-Knights including several Trident Knights and Javelin Knights. The lowliest of the crew are perhaps the Wheelies in the Reactor, which run around to and fro in chambers not unlike hamster wheels to power the whole ship.

Games[]

Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra[]

KssHalberd

Halberd's appearance in Kirby Super Star

Revenge4

Halberd (shown on lower screen)

The Halberd is first unveiled in Revenge of Meta Knight, a sub-game in Kirby Super Star (and afterwards Kirby Super Star Ultra). Meta Knight and his Meta-Knights intend to use its firepower to take control over Dream Land to end its inhabitants' lazy lifestyle. Kirby disables the ship part by critical part. When the Reactor is destroyed, Kirby finally sends the ship crashing down to the bottom of Secret Sea, a restricted area in Orange Ocean.

Kirby: Squeak Squad[]

Gamble Galaxy Map

In Kirby: Squeak Squad

Secret Sea Map

The Halberd underwater

During the events of Kirby: Squeak Squad, Kirby gathers all five Star Seals in search for his missing Strawberry Shortcake and gains access to Secret Sea. While journeying through the area, the Halberd is seen lying on the sea floor, but when he confronts Meta Knight in the Halberd's interior at the end of the stage, it becomes clear that Meta Knight had been repairing it during the time between Kirby Super Star and Kirby: Squeak Squad. These repairs may have been delayed due to the events of Kirby & The Amazing Mirror. Kirby manages to beat Meta Knight in honorable combat yet again, and Meta Knight leaves via his dimensional cape while Kirby stays on the Halberd, which powers up and flies into Gamble Galaxy in pursuit of the Squeak Squad. After Dark Nebula's defeat, Kirby returns to Dream Land on his Warp Star and the Halberd is presumably left unattended and fully operational.

There is an elongated and vague shadowy object on the stage select screen of the Secret Sea which is actually the Halberd lying on the sea floor. It is not apparent what the shadow is until the Halberd is seen at the bottom of the sea, however.

Kirby's Epic Yarn and Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn[]

Hit the Star Shooter Metamortex, and make a daring run across Battleship Halberd. This flying fortress is covered with mounted cannons, and swarming UFOs are itching for a fight. Blast a path through the cannon fire, and take back Meta Knight's battleship!
— Official guide

Battleship Halberd is the 50th and final stage in Kirby's Epic Yarn and its port, Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn, coming after Meta Melon Isle. It is the second unlockable and last level in Dream Land. The stage is unlocked by obtaining sufficient Beads in Meta Melon Isle.

Like Outer Rings, this stage is a straight shoot-em'-up since Kirby grabs the Star Shooter metamortex right at the start.

Meta Knight apparently recovers the Halberd after Kirby: Squeak Squad’s conclusion. In the cutscene titled "Ambush!", Meta Knight and the Halberd are ambushed by Yin-Yarn, who turns them both into yarn in the process. The Halberd can be seen in the background during Yin-Yarn's battle. It is also seen in both the opening and ending cutscenes in the sky.

Overview[]

This stage begins near a yellow patch; pulling it off reveals a Star Shooter metamortex. After Kirby flies through a wave of enemies, he will approach the front of the Halberd. He will then fly above the Halberd- destroying the first cannon encountered reveals the first Bonus Star of the stage, and destroying the fifth cannon uncovers the Galaxia Sword treasure. A few moments, later, Kirby will approach Main Cannon No. 2. After defeating both segments of the cannon, he will continue into a passage that leads him inside the Halberd. Once inside, he must defeat more enemies and cannons. Defeating the fifth cannon encountered in this passage reveals the Knight Helmet. After this, Kirby will enter an area with blasts of fire. The second Bonus Star, surrounded by two fire cannons, can be uncovered by taking the lower path in this area. Once the Bonus Star is collected, the passage will lead Kirby into an area with cannons on the ceiling and on the floor. Destroying the large ceiling and floor cannons will reveal the last Bonus Star and the Halberd CD, respectively. In the next room, Kirby must face and destroy the Halberd's Reactor. After it is destroyed, he will move on into the next room, where the Bonus Bell appears and the stage is completed.

Kirby Mass Attack[]

Halberd

Javelin Knight and Mace Knight defending the Halberd

The Halberd appears in the Strato Patrol EOS sub-game in Kirby Mass Attack. Kirby fights the Meta-Knights in space before entering it, where he fights Meta Knight before moving on to Nightmare.

Kirby: Planet Robobot[]

The Robobot Armor has scanned Meta Knight's ship! It's equipped with the Planet Buster. Capture debris, and press A to fire it!
— In-game description for the Halberd Mode of Robobot Armor • Kirby: Planet Robobot
KPR Halberd Mode

The Robobot Armor in Halberd Mode

The Halberd appears in Kirby: Planet Robobot, this time with a new look. When the Haltmann Works Company attacks Planet Popstar in the introduction, Meta Knight attempts to assault the Access Ark with the Halberd. As the Halberd approaches, the Access Ark fires a laser at it, badly damaging the ship and making Meta Knight's effort fail. The Halberd crashes between two cliffs directly beneath the Haltmann Works Company's mothership. Meta Knight is then captured, though not before turning the Halberd over to his crew in order to make repairs.[1] The Halberd does not reappear until after President Haltmann's defeat at Kirby's hands. Once he is defeated, the Mother Computer Star Dream, bent on destroying all forms of life, flies into space. Susie calls a suit of Invader Armor that Kirby transforms into Robobot Armor. Meta Knight then flies to the Access Ark using the newly repaired Halberd, and signals for Kirby to join him on the ship. Instead, Kirby's Robobot Armor scans the battleship, absorbing and copying it. Under Halberd Mode (which serves as the Final Weapon), Kirby is able to give chase and defeat Star Dream. However, Star Dream releases a final laser that damages the Halberd significantly, forcing Meta Knight to eject Kirby and his Robobot Armor manually. The Halberd returns to normal upon Kirby's ejection. During the end cutscene, Meta Knight is seen aboard a fully-repaired Halberd flying over the skies of Dream Land.

Halberd Mode is also used against Star Dream Soul OS in The True Arena.

Robobot Armor Moveset[]

Move Controls Description
Combo Cannon B The Robobot Armor fires shots that can be aimed.
Capture Inhale B toward debris The Robobot Armor absorbs incoming debris, charging the Planet Buster move.
Planet Buster Capture Inhale, and then A The Robobot Armor fires a very large and damaging cluster of stars forward.
Sail Wing L/R The Robobot Armor performs a spinning maneuver left or right, depending on which trigger is pushed.

In Meta Knightmare Returns, the Halberd is parked and non-functional in the background of some of Meta Knight's rest stations in between areas.

In the Super Smash Bros. series[]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)
SmashHalberd

The Halberd, as seen in Super Smash Bros. Brawl

SSBU Halberd

The Halberd, stage in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

In the Subspace Emissary, the Halberd had been hijacked by the Subspace Army and used to spread Shadow Bugs - in addition, the Halberd fought off multiple assaults from Arwings, and even an assault from the Great Fox itself; both ships originating from the fellow Nintendo series Star Fox. Meta Knight regained control of it after infiltrating it with Snake and Lucario, and used it to confront the Subspace Gunship, but it was destroyed by a laser beam from the gunship in a cutscene. The game was originally going to have a part about how the Emissary stole the ship from Meta Knight with accidental help of King Dedede but the content was cut from the final release.

The Halberd is a location that combatants can fight on in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The stage begins in a hangar on high seas. The platform follows the Halberd as it departs. Eventually the players land on the ship’s deck where combatants will have to worry about Main Cannon #2 as well as other fighters. Combo Cannon has the same behavior in Kirby games; it launches cannonballs, fires a laser, and attacks with its arm. One of Super Smash Bros. Brawl’s Events, called Pink Ball Repulsion, involves the player (playing as Meta Knight) trying to KO Kirby before the floating platform lands on the Halberd. The Halberd also appears as a trophy in this game as well as in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

The Halberd stage reappears in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya![]

Cannon DAuJLJbVYAER17h This section contains information that does not coincide with the main series canon. (Similar)
I have been working on this since my arrival in Dream Land. Sword Knight and Blade Knight helped me a great deal, they were sworn to secrecy of course. It is called; Battleship Halberd!
— Meta Knight • Cappy Town Down
HalberdAnime

In the anime, about to fire Gravity Disruptor.

In Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, the Halberd is revealed in episode 98 (Cappy Town Down) after the first Destroya attack on Cappy Town. Meta Knight reveals that he had been constructing it in total secrecy in an enormous chamber below Castle Dedede ever since he arrived in Dream Land after the defeat of the Star Warriors to eNeMeE's monster army.

The Halberd repels another six Destroyas before heading for Nightmare's Fortress. King Dedede and Escargoon originally planned to plant a time bomb on the ship in exchange for the Teleporter in the throne room to be fixed free of charge, but the plan failed when they end up on the ship as well. Meta Knight engages hyper speed using a wormhole and arrives within one light year of Nightmare's Fortress in order to avoid detection, but N.M.E. Sales Guy announces its detection anyway and sends Heavy Lobster after it. Heavy Lobster's space capsule drills a large hole in the Halberd's hull before wreaking havoc inside. It almost manages to destroy its main engine room before Ice Kirby manages to destroy it with the help of Sword and Blade.

King Dedede foolishly announces Meta Knight's plan to attack, and NME Salesman's response was to send out the entire Destroya fleet to repel the Halberd. The Halberd makes it into the Fortress with the help of three hijacked Destroyas piloted by Sir Arthur and his knights, as well as Sirica and Knuckle Joe, but its shields and hull took a pounding from the outside. It then ran right into Nightmare's ambush in the form of heavy cannon fire and Air Riders. Three stray Destroyas make it through the gate and bombard the crippled ship seeking shelter in a trench. Meta Knight orders all the crew to evacuate the ship before it finally gives way and explodes.

Crew[]

KRBAY Halberd Crew

Crew seating - Meta Knight obscuring Tuff, not including stowaways King Dedede and Escargoon

The Halberd takes off in the episode Cappy Town Down in Kirby: Right Back at Ya!. Its crew is composed of:

Cappies:

Stowaways:

Music[]

Db The following section contains transcluded content from the Database. Source: (viewedit • help)
Theme - Halberd
KSSU Meta Knight artwork cropped
The Halberd is Meta Knight's personal battleship. Throughout the series' history, it has been wrecked three times - once after the events of Revenge of Meta Knight, its most important appearance; crashing into Orange Ocean afterwards. After Kirby faces off against Meta Knight in Secret Sea in Kirby: Squeak Squad, however, it appears to have been repaired back to its prime from its wreckage in Kirby Super Star and Ultra. Also during the events in the prologue of Kirby: Planet Robobot, where Meta Knight takes the Halberd to do battle against the Haltmann Works Company's HQ. During which it is promptly shot-down by a laser beam from the HQ, although the ship seems to make a full recovery by the end of the game. While not in the same continuum, the Halberd was destroyed at the end of the anime Kirby: Right Back at Ya!, in Nightmare's Fortress, and no trace of it was left.
Theme - Havoc Aboard the Halberd
KSSU Meta Knight artwork cropped
Meta Knight's Revenge
Super Smash Bros
Music File:Meta Knight Revenge.ogg
King Dedede & Meta Knight Medley
Kirby 25th Anniversary Orchestra Concert
Music
Havoc Aboard the Halberd
Kirby's Extra Epic Yarn
Music File:KEEY Halberd Interior.ogg
Deus Ex Machina at a Young Age RMX
Super Kirby Clash
Music
Stage of the Partners Who Shook the Heavens
Kirby Fighters 2
Music
Revenge of Steel Wings
Kirby's Dream Buffet
Music File:Steel Wings.ogg
The Halberd is Meta Knight's personal battleship. Throughout the series' history, it has been wrecked several times, but somehow manages to get repaired back into its prime. Its most important role is in Revenge of Meta Knight, the sub-game in Kirby Super Star and Kirby Super Star Ultra.

Related Quotes[]

King Dedede: Hey, what is that there thing?
Escargoon: Sire, how am I supposed to know? But whatever it is, I think our friend at Nightmare Enterprises would be very interested in it.
— King Dedede & Escargoon discovering the Halberd • Cappy Town Down
Don't worry. She'll be fine. This ship's made to move at hyper speeds.
— Sword Knight • Combat Kirby
Our sensors go to have picked up some sort of battleship coming out of a wormhole one light year away. It appears that Kirby and Meta Knight have decided to attack us with their puny little battle barge.
— N.M.E. Sales Guy • Combat Kirby
Meta Knight's battleship, built to help Meta Knight take control of Dream Land. It's crewed by Meta Knight and the Meta-Knights and is equipped with the Combo Cannon and a shrimp-like robot called the Heavy Lobster. In the Subspace Emissary, the Halberd appears and releases a massive horde of shadow bugs. These creatures form Primids and cause our heroes a lot of trouble.
— Trophy description • Super Smash Bros. Brawl
It has arrived! The Battleship Halberd! It’s Meta Knight’s battleship...isn’t it?
— Official Super Smash Bros. Brawl website
Kirby's rival, the masked warrior Meta Knight, constructed this ship to conquer Dream Land. Just in case you forget who owns it, the ship's bow is designed to look like his mask. How is a small guy like Kirby supposed to defeat a battleship?! Maybe he'll find a way inside...
— Trophy description • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
Next to the cannon is a mechanical arm that sometimes attacks fighters. It'll freeze for a second; that's your cue to dodge!
— Mechanical Arm • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Halberd's main cannon fires shots that travel lazily through the air, exploding with surprising force when they hit a fighter or the ground.
— Cannon Shots • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The Halberd's laser cannon is powerful but not very quick. Don't panic if it tries to target you—lead it toward your foes instead!
— Laser Cannon • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Etymology[]

The Halberd shares its name with a halberd, a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. This reference likely emphasizes the Halberd's military purpose and strength. The Halberd's name may also reference HAL Laboratory, the creators of the Kirby franchise. Finally, when pronounced, Halberd sounds similar to "HAL" and "bird," so the "bird" syllable may refer to the Halberd being a flying ship.

Trivia[]

  • In the anime, the Halberd flying around the surface of Nightmare's space fortress appears to be a homage to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, as it flies through a large trench on it. There are many other references to Star Wars, such as Meta Knight's saying that they were led into a trap in the English version, which is a homage to a famous line from Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.
  • In Kirby Super Star Ultra, the Halberd's 3D model is almost exactly the same model seen in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, missing only the area where the floating platform drops down from. The model was provided for the game by Masahiro Sakurai himself.[2] The original Halberd can still be seen in the bonus compilation of SNES-style videos.
  • The music that plays on the Halberd can be heard in Kirby: Squeak Squad. The theme music that plays in the stage from Kirby's Epic Yarn is the Halberd's theme, "Meta Knight's Revenge." When Kirby gets the music CD, it says the music is from Kirby's Dream Land, but actually the first time the theme is heard is in Revenge of Meta Knight in Kirby Super Star. This is most likely a localization error, as Hoshi no Kirby can mean either Kirby's Dream Land or the Kirby series as a whole; the latter was likely the intended meaning. The arrangement from Kirby's Epic Yarn was later reused for the extra stage of Rhythm Route in Kirby: Planet Robobot, and a segment of the music can be heard in Star Dream's battle theme during the first phase.
  • The Halberd in Super Smash Bros. Brawl is adorned with many guns. A total of 150 (including the Combo Cannon's twin guns) cover the battleship's exterior.
  • The Halberd could be based on Space Battleship Yamato, a similar looking flying warship from the anime series of the same name.
  • In the Subspace Emissary mode of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, there exists a single room encountered right before the boss fight against Duon. Upon entering, the stage music stops. The room contains ten cages, each holding an enemy. These enemies cannot hurt the player, or vice versa.

Artwork[]

Gallery[]

Sprites and Models[]

References[]

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